Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowl

Caramelized pork carnitas are served over beans and rice, and topped with a fresh pico de gallo to make a burrito bowl that will rival the local take out joint!

Photos Updated November 2014

Yes, I know I’m late to the party. I started hearing people “talk” about Chipotle on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram months ago, but I had never been. There is one that is about 20 minutes from my house, but let’s be honest. I don’t eat out very often. And when I don’t feel like cooking and I just want to pick something up, it’s going to be something that is 5 minutes away, not 20.

But I finally broke down a little while back. I was having one of those days. And I didn’t want to cook, and I wanted to do something for myself. And yeah, instead of buying a new pair of shoes or some new nail polish, I drove to Chipotle. In rush hour traffic. The whole trip took me over an hour. But I didn’t even care, because it was what I wanted, and like I said, it was already one of those days anyway.

It’s a good thing I really liked the burrito. I’m not going to be driving an hour for a burrito on a regular basis, but I’d totally go again if I was in the neighborhood. And really, it did give me a constant craving after that.

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While I had a burrito that day, I know that their burrito bowls are really popular. I’ve seen all kinds of versions all over the internet. I was even watching a past episode of Ten Dollar Dinners, and it looks like even Melissa d’Arabian has jumped on the burrito bowl bandwagon. While I have no idea if hers are like the ones that everyone loves so much, they were pretty darn delicious!

You start off by slow cooking the pork, which makes for an easy meal. And there are 2 parts of this recipe that you really shouldn’t skip. The browning of the shredded pork, and the pico de gallo. You basically fry the shredded pork, which makes pieces of it crispy and delicious. I loved the texture that it brought to the meal. And the pico seriously makes these. Don’t try to substitute jarred salsa – it will not be the same!! I was not a very good direction reader, and totally skipped the cheese and the sour cream, but had them both with the leftovers. But sorry they aren’t in the pictures!! And this recipe says it serves 4, but I only made half, and easily got 4 servings out of half. So I guess it depends on how big your servings are.

I can tell you though, there is no reason for me to drive an hour when I can make something this delicious at home!!

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Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowl

Description

Caramelized pork carnitas are served over beans and rice, and topped with a fresh pico de gallo to make a burrito bowl that will rival the local take out joint!

Ingredients

Pork Carnitas

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, chopped

1 orange, cut in half

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Easy Pico de Gallo

salt

pinch of sugar

2 medium tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped

½ medium sweet onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, chopped

1 lime, juiced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Burrito Bowls

3 cups cooked white rice

2 cups cooked black beans

1½ to 2 cups Easy Pico de Gallo

2 cups Pork Carnitas

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup sour cream

2 green onions, chopped

diced avocado

Instructions

Make the Pork Carnitas:

Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, cumin and olive oil. Rub the mixture all over the pork. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the onion, garlic, jalapeño and orange halves. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 hours. When it is tender, remove from the slow cooker and allow to cool enough to handle it. Pull apart with a fork.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan. Press the shredded pork into the oil and fry until crusty on one side.

Make the Pico de Gallo:

In a bowl, mix together some salt with the sugar. Add in the tomatoes and toss gently. Add the onions and jalapeño. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Sprinkle on the cilantro and stir to combine.

Make the Burrito Bowls:

Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Top with the black beans and half of the pico de gallo. Add the warm carnitas, and top with the remaining pico de gallo. If desired, sprinkle with the cheese, sour cream, green onions and avocado.

Trust me, I know the feeling of almost never going out. As a mom, I totally get how it’s much more efficient, i.e. cost, time, etc. to make it at home most of the time. Glad you re-created successfully!

I’m so glad you finally got a chance to try Chipotle! It lives up to the hype, right? It’s been a while since I’ve last been there but now I can make their burrito bowls right at home! Thanks for saving me a ton of money, and calories too 🙂

I like Chipotle but I mainly eat there if I’m out and about and want to pick up a fairly healthy lunch/dinner option. With a recipe like this, I can make my own burrito bowl at home (and it will be even more delicious!). Great idea!

Sometimes when those cravings hit…you just need to go for it! I feel that same way about sushi. I’d much rather make a burrito bowl at home than go to chipotle even though its only three blocks away. These look awesome!

I love this and try as much as I can to make these.
If I’m making steak they go right into a burrito bowl.
I wasn’t found of Chipotle, sadly. There was no flavor really, but that might be because I’m spoiled by authentic mex cuisine

This bowl looks so good! If you are willing to travel for good burritos then you should hop on a plane and come here to Texas! We have a local burrito joint called Freebirds that is way better than Chipotle and has been around longer. I love Freebirds because you have way more choices than chipotle (5 diff types of tortillas, 2 diff types rice, 3 types of beans, 3 diff salsas, you get the point) plus it is fresh, local and has a unique atmosphere!